It's about time for a female boxing flick, but this one ain't it. Though the acting isn't too bad, the predictable storyline and silly dialogue pretty much ruin this one from the get go. To top it off, the boxing scenes display zero tension. Come on! How hard is it to make a boxing match seem exciting??!!
11 Reviews
Predictable
Cubie7 August 2002
I hired the DVD yesterday and first of all it started bad, it's 4:3 aspect ratio film, and it just keeps getting worse, the acting is so bad and the movie itself is way to predictable, I was like watching the movie and said to myself: this going to happen next and guess what happened? right...
if you want to see a good action boxing movie, don't watch this one you'll end disappointed on this low-budget movie like I did. go and see Ali its way better!
if you want to see a good action boxing movie, don't watch this one you'll end disappointed on this low-budget movie like I did. go and see Ali its way better!
Sucker Punch
Rusty-6120 September 2000
Well, I fell for it. I saw the box for this at the video store, and mistook it for "Girlfight", which I'd heard was great. In my own defense, the titles are similar, and they re-did the cover art for the box so it looked almost identical. Anyway, to sum it up, they obviously re-did the whole cover packaging/promo to capitalize on the buzz/success of "Girlfight". I popped it in and got a bad feeling when they started showing trailers for low budget straight-to-video flicks, and even worse when a music video of the main song for the movie, which sounded like elevator music and featured corny slomo clips from the movie preceded the main feature. When I saw the first few minutes and Maria Conchita Alonso showed up, I knew I'd fallen for it. (don't get me wrong, she's a talented actress, but I knew she wasn't in "Girlfight", the movie I'd been under the false impression I was renting).
So, apart from me feeling sort of cheated and mad at myself for not looking closer, the movie was OK. The plot involves Belle, a young Latino woman who is the daughter of an ex-champion boxer. One of her close friends is a female boxer, who--and I could see all this coming sooo far ahead of time it was really a drag--gets seriously injured during a match with a mean champ named "The Terminator", who resembles a female version of a bigger, more pumped up Ike Turner. Of course, Belle decides that the only thing to do is to become a boxer herself and avenge her friend. She lives with her caring, supportive yet protective Dad (her mother died of cancer when she was younger), who just happens to be a cop. Her love interest, also caring and supportive yet protective, is also a cop who works with her dad. Hmmm, they both have jobs that put their lives in danger in the line of duty...wonder what's gonna happen? She starts training and meets a sleazy manager who of course, pretends to care about her but just wants to exploit her. The actor they hired looks like a very low-rent Cary Eweles and is so young he barely manages to have a mustache. His acting was also really, really bad. I'm not even going to go into the plot any further because anyone who has seen Rocky, or almost anyone, knows exactly where this movie is going and how it will end.
This was not a completely terrible movie. Most of the acting was OK, and the lead actress was very good. There were good, strong female Latino role models. The final fight scene did get me sort of interested, even though I knew everything that was going to happen long before it did. The actress that played "The Terminator" did a great job of being unlikeable enough that I really did want Belle to kick her a$$, and rooted for Belle-again, although there were absolutely no surprises. My favorite moment (maybe the only moment where I wasn't mad at myself for renting the movie by mistake) was when Belle slaps her sleazy manager after he's shown his true colors, yells at him, and then turns away only to suddenly fake a punch and watch him cringe back in fear, showing that she is really the one in charge.
The dialogue was really, really bad, my main complaint. One of their attempts to be witty was someone discussing boxing saying "size doesn't matter" and the female replying wryly, "now where have I heard that before?" Other lines that are supposed to have dramatic impact are "The doctors told me I may never walk again!" "Come on, you know you can trust me!" and "Your mother would have been so proud of you". I could go on and on. Nothing you haven't heard a million times before in bad soap operas or movies-of-the-week.
Maybe I'm being too mean-the filmmakers did make an effort, and I did sit through the whole thing voluntarily...but only because there was nothing else to watch while I worked out. You could do worse (especially if you are looking for a movie with strong female characters) but you could also do much, much better.
So, apart from me feeling sort of cheated and mad at myself for not looking closer, the movie was OK. The plot involves Belle, a young Latino woman who is the daughter of an ex-champion boxer. One of her close friends is a female boxer, who--and I could see all this coming sooo far ahead of time it was really a drag--gets seriously injured during a match with a mean champ named "The Terminator", who resembles a female version of a bigger, more pumped up Ike Turner. Of course, Belle decides that the only thing to do is to become a boxer herself and avenge her friend. She lives with her caring, supportive yet protective Dad (her mother died of cancer when she was younger), who just happens to be a cop. Her love interest, also caring and supportive yet protective, is also a cop who works with her dad. Hmmm, they both have jobs that put their lives in danger in the line of duty...wonder what's gonna happen? She starts training and meets a sleazy manager who of course, pretends to care about her but just wants to exploit her. The actor they hired looks like a very low-rent Cary Eweles and is so young he barely manages to have a mustache. His acting was also really, really bad. I'm not even going to go into the plot any further because anyone who has seen Rocky, or almost anyone, knows exactly where this movie is going and how it will end.
This was not a completely terrible movie. Most of the acting was OK, and the lead actress was very good. There were good, strong female Latino role models. The final fight scene did get me sort of interested, even though I knew everything that was going to happen long before it did. The actress that played "The Terminator" did a great job of being unlikeable enough that I really did want Belle to kick her a$$, and rooted for Belle-again, although there were absolutely no surprises. My favorite moment (maybe the only moment where I wasn't mad at myself for renting the movie by mistake) was when Belle slaps her sleazy manager after he's shown his true colors, yells at him, and then turns away only to suddenly fake a punch and watch him cringe back in fear, showing that she is really the one in charge.
The dialogue was really, really bad, my main complaint. One of their attempts to be witty was someone discussing boxing saying "size doesn't matter" and the female replying wryly, "now where have I heard that before?" Other lines that are supposed to have dramatic impact are "The doctors told me I may never walk again!" "Come on, you know you can trust me!" and "Your mother would have been so proud of you". I could go on and on. Nothing you haven't heard a million times before in bad soap operas or movies-of-the-week.
Maybe I'm being too mean-the filmmakers did make an effort, and I did sit through the whole thing voluntarily...but only because there was nothing else to watch while I worked out. You could do worse (especially if you are looking for a movie with strong female characters) but you could also do much, much better.
The Worst Movie I Have Ever Seen!
Chillie40776 October 2000
This movie was terrible! My friend and I were so bored by it we fast forwarded through the last half of the movie just to see what happened. It's the typical sports thing, she either wins or she loses. The only remotely interesting thing was when the one guy refers to someone as a Veg-e-tab-le. That will be a line my friend and I bring up for years to come reminding us of this colossal cheesy cliche waste of time
Aaargh!
reddeb1321 November 2005
Woa, talk about awful. Do not waste your time. I wish I had seen the other use comments first.
I have to admit, I didn't watch the whole thing. It was just too horrible. The worst, sappiest dialogue... I could go on and on. But what really made it unwatchable was the direction. The poor actors. You can't even tell if they have any talent because they not only have pathetic lines to speak but the director gave them no action. If you check the director's filmography on this site you will see why this film didn't have a chance.
This would not even be good as a made for TV flick.
Ouch!
I have to admit, I didn't watch the whole thing. It was just too horrible. The worst, sappiest dialogue... I could go on and on. But what really made it unwatchable was the direction. The poor actors. You can't even tell if they have any talent because they not only have pathetic lines to speak but the director gave them no action. If you check the director's filmography on this site you will see why this film didn't have a chance.
This would not even be good as a made for TV flick.
Ouch!
waste of time
jack-1926 June 2001
This movie was a complete waste of time. The soundtrack was bad, story was lame and predictable, and the acting was terrible. One of the worst 25 movies I have ever seen. After the first ten minutes, the rest of the film was completely obvious.
Positive characters, no guns or drugs.
number9098 December 2000
I don't like boxing, don't understand the attraction. I did like this movie. Positive portrayals of Latinos, with no drugs, sex or street violence. The plot actually showed stable, loving families. The fight sequences are violent, as is boxing, but not as over the top as Rocky films. Nothing wrong with attempting familiar themes with a different angle and ethnicity. It's a good rent.
Ah ha..ahhha.. Bwwahahahahahaha!!
ringsmma-921724 November 2023
Have y'all actually seen this train wreck?? I was dying laughing 90% of the time. The "boxing" scenes were absolutely horrendous, and the acting is so God awful bad, it's worth watching. This is akin to "the room". The room is often cited as being the worst movie ever made. I think we need a revote after watching this hilarious attempt at a femme pugilist dumpster fire. Some movies are simply so bad, that they deserve a watch. Then some are SO bad that even a pity comedy watch isn't validated. This falls deeply into the latter. If you do one single thing in this world, make it that you avoided this movie.
99 thumbs down.
99 thumbs down.
predictable boxing film with a latino female twist
flybyrex11 February 2000
Fifteen years after the death of her mother, Belle (Hernandez) sets out to continue the dream her father began and never finished: to become a champion boxer. Warned as a child by her dying mother not to give up her passions for her loved ones, Belle dukes it out in the tough, male-dominated world of professional boxing, where it seems no one wants her to win.
With the exception of the female boxing twist, this film is no different than any other stereotypical boxing movie I've ever seen. The dialogue is weak, and the story development uses tensions that have been used in all 5 of the Rocky series. Not to mention, the themes are way overstated.
With the exception of the female boxing twist, this film is no different than any other stereotypical boxing movie I've ever seen. The dialogue is weak, and the story development uses tensions that have been used in all 5 of the Rocky series. Not to mention, the themes are way overstated.
One of the Worst...Why Do I Do This to Myself?
Eschete26 July 2001
A terrible film, but one that compels the viewer to finish watching it with its hypnotic terrible-ness.
A young Latina has a gift for boxing (though you wouldn't know it from the fight sequences), and decides to carry on boxing after her cop father/trainer dies. She KOs the formidable ladies' champion and is a hero.
Predictable, badly edited, badly written, badly directed. Badly choreographed, badly shot, badly lit. Badly acted, badly delivered lines, badly directed, bad make up.
Fun things to watch for: the scene where the heroine is sparring with the smart-aleck who keeps knocking her down. She gets hit....pause...her head snaps back. Badly timed! The scene where the "champ" dances to "Don't Mess With Me," a stupid song obviously written and recorded for this film. The scene where dad talks to the armed punks in the alley.
Grade: F-
A young Latina has a gift for boxing (though you wouldn't know it from the fight sequences), and decides to carry on boxing after her cop father/trainer dies. She KOs the formidable ladies' champion and is a hero.
Predictable, badly edited, badly written, badly directed. Badly choreographed, badly shot, badly lit. Badly acted, badly delivered lines, badly directed, bad make up.
Fun things to watch for: the scene where the heroine is sparring with the smart-aleck who keeps knocking her down. She gets hit....pause...her head snaps back. Badly timed! The scene where the "champ" dances to "Don't Mess With Me," a stupid song obviously written and recorded for this film. The scene where dad talks to the armed punks in the alley.
Grade: F-
Mind-bogglingly cliched boxing movie, totally without irony or originality
xorys1 October 2000
This movie doesn't just drag out every hoary old cliche of boxing movies... it hangs each one up like a gong and beats the heck out of it. It's kind of mind-boggling that such a movie could be made in 2000 apparently in all seriousness... and I didn't detect the slightest trace of irony (or indeed any form of humour or self-awareness) anywhere in this picture. The only "original" thing in Knockout is that The Kid is here a girl rather than a boy... but basically precious little is made of that. This could serve as an example of how not to make a movie about female boxers. I suppose in technical film-making terms and in acting it's a reasonably competent riff on the old tunes... but lawdy they are old tunes. Recommended only if you've never seen a boxing movie before (or, I guess, if you absolutely can't get enough of them).
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